READERS' VIEWS 22/1

22 January 2009

Wind farms won't work

AN ARTICLE in your paper last week states that, in respect of material published in opposition to the wind farm application at Swinford, “the Advertising Standards Authority waded in and demanded the Stop Swinford Wind Farm Action Group stop publishing unsubstantiated claims…”
The article does not make clear that Nuon Renewables, who originated the application to erect 11 turbines taller than the Rugby Cement tower on land close to homes in the area, themselves called in the ASA to counter the claims made in SSWFAG literature. The ASA report itself shows how flimsy the argument against the content of SSWFAG literature actually is, revealing that the ASA were lobbied towards their decisions.
It is important that your readers are aware of the fact that Nuon Renewables and its PR agency Quatro have gone to considerable lengths to discredit the opposition, paying substantial amounts of money in the process which SSWFAG and other anti-windfarm groups around the country fighting similar proposals simply cannot match.
When we eventually pay the trebled charges for our electricity, we will be paying in essence for the publicity machine supporting Nuon and its fellows. The likes of SSWFAG rely solely on public support, not government subsidies, and cannot match the tactics of the companies seeking to destroy our environment for very little benefit, if any at all.
I have challenged Nuon through your paper in the past, inviting it to refute that pitifully small, unreliable amounts of electricity are generated by their turbines, that the carbon footprint made during a turbine's manufacture cannot be cancelled out by that turbine during its working life, that no power stations can be shut down in deference to wind energy, that the impact of a windfarm upon wildlife is likely to be substantial, and that the impact upon human quality of life is also likely to be substantial.
The claims I make here are borne out by global evidence and Nuon has not challenged me on any of them.
When I attended the public presentation by Harborough District Council in November on windfarm applications, I was disturbed to discover that the council has adopted as its benchmark the so-called ‘acceptable limit’ in proximity of homes to turbines - this being just 400 metres, which is not laid down by the Government, but by the windfarm industry itself.
There are, to my alarm, no government guidelines in existence on which the council may base its deliberations.
If we listen to Nuon Renewables without investigating thoroughly for ourselves what is true and what is not, we are in danger of being misled by lobbyists who would have us turn our backs on the heritage of our landscape and fall prey to empty promises of green energy in a future we will be unable to enjoy.
Kathy Ratcliffe, Lutterworth Road, Swinford

Charity will be missed

WITH regards to the services provided by Homestart in Rugby being withdrawn (Observer last week), I am a parent of three children, one of which has some special needs.
I do not have family members in Rugby to support me and after having my last child I suffered from post natal depression. With having small under school age children it is easy to become isolated and feel alone, especially if you live in an unfamiliar area.
Homestart has provided me invaluable support. A lady comes to see me and my children on a weekly basis. We have built up a close bond and my children respond well to her, often referring to her as grandma.
She allows me to have a rest or do housework while playing with the children, or maybe we all play together, or go to the park. Furthermore her visits are what I look forward to from one week to the next,as she is a friendly face. We often chat about a variety of topics.
Homestart also offer support in the form of a day out in the summer for families who would otherwise be unable to do this as Homestart provide a support worker to help.
The threat of losing the support of Homestart does not just affect the adult, but also the children as they have built up a rapport with the support worker attached to the family. They will feel the loss profoundly and deeply on a very personal level.
I personally feel that it is a deep sacrilege that this service is being withdrawn with no apparent thought to those whom it will affect. It has also been done in such a way that it is there is no time to find funding from other sources. A period of notice of one year should have been given.
Funding should carry on to provide this much needed service to families who benefit from the contact and support from Homestart.
Name and address supplied

Village views should not be ignored

THE proposed new admission arrangements to the selective schools do exclude Daventry, but people might be surprised to know that they also exclude Kilsby and Barby (Observer last week).
These villages are in places less than a mile from the county boundary, and are actually closer to the schools in Rugby than those in Daventry. They have Rugby postcodes and telephone numbers, and many of the residents do most of their shopping in Rugby, often using their regular hourly bus service (there are only two buses a week to Daventry!)
When the adjudicator looked at the admission arrangements he stated: "There may well be areas of Northamptonshire close to the border that should be considered part of Rugby's natural hinterland. If so they should be included, but only after proper consultation with the communities affected."
So far there hasn't been any consultation at all.
Although I see the argument that Rugby schools should be only for Rugby children, only a tiny percentage of the schools' funding comes from Rugby residents' council tax. The majority comes from central government or from the taxes of which we all pay plenty. The proposed new admission arrangements cast the net as wide as Bubbenhall and Coombe Fields, which means that the schools will still be highly competitive, albeit taking their pupils from a different area.
The Northamptonshire villages on the edge of Rugby will now have only one choice of school, which means that they don't really have a choice at all. Our children were never 'favoured' in the tests and we wouldn't want them to be. But since we are a part of Rugby in so many ways, it would be good for us if the adjudicator's original comments were noted and we were not excluded in this way.
Cathy King, Via email

Club is very grateful

ON behalf of the Bradby Club I should like to thank all customers of First Stop TW Tyres who had work done on their vehicles during December, thus contributing to the TW Tyres Christmas Project.
This work and the generosity of Mike Furner and TW Tyres staff allowed Rugby Air Ambulance and the Bradby Club to receive cheques for £1,303 each.
The Bradby Club is incredibly grateful for the generosity of this firm who for many years have supported the club, allowing it to continue providing a safe place for young people to meet, socialise, learn new skills and develop their talents.
Without such gifts, this independent youth club would be unable to operate. Very many thanks to you all.
Alison E. Ross, Management committee member

Donations will keep band going

FOLLOWING our annual carol playing in Rugby, Coventry and the surrounding area, Bilton Silver (Rugby) Band would like to thank all those who contributed to the collections.
Christmas carol playing remains a most significant element of the band’s fund-raising. The running costs of our organisation are considerable and the monies raised allow us to refurbish or replace the band's instruments, maintain our headquarters and, most importantly, train young players from beginners standard through our Training Band and on into the main band.
We will have many concerts throughout 2009 and look forward to seeing people at these events.
Alister Rowe, Publicity Officer

Will Tories back a tax freeze

I WOULD would agree with the comments made by Coun Craig Humphrey (Observer Letters last week) that local councils are this year facing a harder time in making budget decisions. He also states that he will keep Council Tax low and be prudent.
Warwickshire County Council will be meeting on February 3 to decide its level of Council Tax. Liberal Democrat councillors have been meeting to consider budget proposals brought forward by Warwickshire’s Conservative cabinet who will be meeting again on January 29 to confirm there budget proposal.
It brings forward massive cuts to voluntary organisations and also into county music service, youth work and preventive work with families. Unlike Rugby, in Warwickshire there is no one political party in control although the Conservative have more councillors than any other group which means that politicians will have to find common ground.
Liberal Democrats have and will continue to seek value for money, and I am sure in these difficult times we all want to see low tax levels so it is with interest that I await to see if Conservative-led councils up and down the land will follow (shadow chancellor) George Osbourne's Conservative policy and freeze Council Tax for two years.
Coun Jerry Roodhouse, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Warwickshire County Council and Rugby Borough Council

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